Powwow: A Celebration through Song and Dance

Powwow: A Celebration through Song and Dance is the seventh book in the “Orca Origins” nonfiction series that looks at cultural celebrations throughout the world. The author, Karen Pheasant-Neganigwane, is an Anishinaabe dancer and educator from Wiikwemkoong on Manitoulin Island. In an engaging, conversational writing style, she tells the history of the powwow and also shares her own personal stories and reflections.

The opening chapter outlines the history of colonization in North America. Until 1951, it was illegal for Indigenous peoples in Canada to practice their culture and ceremonies. In tracing the origins of powwow culture, Pheasant-Neganigwane explains that songs and dance gatherings serve many important purposes, “spiritual, ceremonial, social, political and educational.” While the Canadian and United States governments tried hard to eradicate traditional Indigenous culture, harvest fairs and Wild West shows provided a chance for Indigenous singers and dancers to “quietly share their cultural practices and knowledge among themselves.” Because of the legacy of residential schools, “Indigenous children were ashamed to participate in ceremonies, and Elders were afraid to share and promote their traditional knowledge.” By the 1960s, there was a growing powwow culture, and now there are powwows that take place around the year, held in many of the major cities across Canada and the United States.

The next two chapters offer a detailed, vibrant guide to the elements integral to the powwow celebration, including the master of ceremony, the grand entry of performers, and the flag song. Sidebars throughout offer many facts on powwow etiquette, victory songs, and provide recipes for Strawberry Drink and Taco in a Bag. Pheasant-Neganigwane is a competitive powwow dancer, and she looks at the different dance styles, such as Men’s Fancy Dance, Men’s Grass Dance, Women’s Jingle Dress Dance, and their origin stories. Many candid photographs from her family album are included, along with affecting comments such as: “The time I spent traveling with my children on the powwow trail taught me that the songs and dances and stories shared at powwows are not just about identity and culture. Powwows also help to restore our families and kinship systems.”

Rounding out this authentic, informative and celebratory book is a look at powwows in different regions of North America, a glossary, list of print and online resources and acknowledgements. In a “Final Word from the Author”, Karen Pheasant-Neganigwane leaves readers with this important reflection: “For many of those who have had their identities taken away or, throughout no fault of their own, have not been able to know their culture, powwow culture serves as a stepping-stone to the reclaiming of their Indigenous identity.”